11 important rules when choosing a domain name for marketing and branding

A domain is unique name of your website, this is the address in the address bar of your browser. Choosing an appropriate domain may not be so easy thus learn how to choose a good one.

There are important rules in choosing a domain name for your business, brand or your organization especially when it comes to marketing and branding, especially when the domain that you wanted is not available. Let us understand how to choose, what to avoid and what to do during the choice.

How to Choose a Domain Name?

When you choose your domain name, consider what purpose and who its target audience. Always think about your user at any moment, be it for marketing to customers, it is likely that you will that the domain name will be short, easy to remember and easy to pronounce.

Choose a name that may be brand

Choose a name might look or sound as a brand rather than keywords or promotion. While keyword in the domain may help you in the promotion and marketing, but there are other equally important parameters when search engines rank results. We suggest is to use branding as “MegaPizza” and it would be not correct to use general words like “MyPizza”.

Avoid the name with a hyphen or numbers

If you thought separate with a dash between the words domain because it is easier for search engines to understand, you’re wrong, search engines know to separate the words are together. For numbers, we do not recommend to use it.

Choose a name as short as possible

Short names are easier to remember them, usually easier to share them in social networks, and it is easier to search them on search engines. Do not use the name too short, maybe it would be nice if the domain pza.it but it is likely that users will not understand it.

Prefer to use an international audience familiar extensions such as .com, .net, .org

If your business / your brand appeals to an international audience prefer to use common suffixes. Start with a .com extension for businesses and brands, or .org for organizations. Net extension for organizations previously had network technologies. If the .com extension not available, it can be used.

Use the extension of the state if the target audience is local

If your target audience in Israel, preferring to use the suffix co.il, the .co.uk for the UK, com.au for Australia and more. Search engines prefer country extensions of a local search, but it is not a measure of search engines and you can brand yourself with new extensions regardless of the country. Country extensions are recognized among users, so it is likely they will click on a site with a recognized extension that other, and this is the main reason.

Choose a domain can pronounce it easily

A domain that can pronounce it easily, like choosing a shorter name, more convenient to share it with friends and type on search engines. Do not use the letters as a similar pronunciation z c s or m n, a sequence example: Use LunaPizza instead of Pizzasostist.

Avoid the domain name violates the trademark of someone or may mislead users

Choosing a name infringing a trademark of the organization or company, lead to bad consequences and could be such a lawsuit and more. Such use may be as PizzaHot for trademark PizzaHut. In any case, it is best to consult with your attorney.

Use generic keyword when it is right to do so

Pizza is the generic keyword reason that you can add many words and the meaning will be different, for example, pizza course, pizza recipe, local pizza, how to make pizza. You can use the word pizza as part of your brand but avoid a sequence of keywords to manipulate search engines, It does not necessarily help you.

If your business is global, select the relevant domain name extensions

If your business plan goal is to provide a service or products in some countries, have acquired the relevant name extensions for you (of course, if you use them or if they are important to you).

Translate the domain in different languages

See what the explanation of the domain in different languages, in order to avoid the negative impact such as an offensive word in any language, or name symbolizes something negative like.

Edit or change the domain if is busy

If your domain is busy, you can also make various changes and edits. There is currently a lot of extensions and can be used creatively. For example, if the name is: MegaPizza you can use Megapiz.za or Me.ga/pizza or something else.

As we have seen, choosing a name may be not easy, so stick to those rules and avoid mistakes. The next step, of course, is to check whether the domain is busy or is going to be expired, what is the history of the domain and where to buy it.